Vol. 520 No. 5
152 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will rectify the anomaly where an old age pensioner in receipt of rent allowance automatically loses the budget increase in pension in view of the fact that the rental allowance is reduced pound for pound. [16291/00]
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme a weekly supplement may be paid in respect of rent or mort gage interest to people in receipt of social welfare or health board payments.
Entitlement to a supplement is determined by the health boards and supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of rent or mortgage interest, has an income equal to the weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to the family circumstances, less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which a person is required to pay from his or her own resources towards accommodation costs.
In addition to the minimum contribution, all applicants, including pensioners, are required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate basic supplementary welfare allowance rate towards their rent.
The current supplementary welfare allowance rate for a single person is £76 per week. Any increase in income over and above that rate will result in a decrease of that amount in the rent supplement rate payable.
For example, in the budget 2000 rate increases which came into effect from the beginning of May 2000 the old age non-contributory pension rose by £7 from £78.50 to £85.50. The social welfare allowance rate rose by £4 from £72 to £76. A single person on a non-contributory pension is now in receipt of £9.50 per week above the supplementary welfare allowance rate and would therefore be liable to pay that amount plus the minimum contribution of £6 towards their rent. This means that a single person in receipt of a rent supplement will be left with £70 per week after payment of rent regardless of their primary payment.
This manner of calculation of rent supplement will be examined as part of the review of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is currently being undertaken as part of my Department's series of formal programme evaluations. A working group comprising officials from my Department and other relevant agencies has been established to carry out the review and a report is expected by the end of next year.
Any proposals for changes in this area would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
153 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo could be approved disability benefit for the entire length she was off work sick in view of the severity of her illness of meningococcal meningitis and the fact that she did submit sick certs to her employer, the Department of Education, for the entire period. [16294/00]
The person concerned made a claim to disability benefit on 10 May 2000. She stated that she had been incapable of work since 19 June 1999 and had sent medical certificates to her employer to that effect, but had not realised until recently that she could claim disability benefit. She submitted retrospective medical evidence and the deciding officer accepted that there was good cause for her delay in claiming. Her claim was authorised for payment with effect from 11 November 1999, that is backdated for six months which was the maximum period of backdating possible.
Since her claim was decided, regulations have been made which extend, in certain circumstances, the possible period of backdating in respect of a number of benefits, including disability benefit. Under these provisions payment of disability benefit may be made beyond the six month period if: the delay in claiming was due to incorrect information having been given by the Department; or the extent of the illness, or a force majeure, prevented a person from claiming earlier; or the person is dependent on the arrears of payment to relieve financial hardship.
The Department will be in contact with the person concerned with a view to determining if there are grounds for further extending the period of back-payment on her case.
